Hippocampal MRI volumetry is associated with mild cognitive impairment in patients with HIV infection

Abstract

The relationship between hippocampal volume and neurocognitive impairment in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has not been studied in the Mexican population. This study compared the hippocampal volume in Mexican patients with HIV infection and normal cognition or mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Hippocampal volume was determined manually with structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score ≥ 26 defined patients with normal cognition and 19 to < 26 points defined patients with MCI. A total of 76 patients living with HIV were included: 56 men and 20 women with a mean age of 34.1 ± 10.11 years. Out of 76 patients, 50 (65.8%) were diagnosed with MCI with a MoCA test < 26. The mean MoCA score was lower in patients with MCI (22.9 ± 1.8) than in patients with normal cognition (26.6 ± 0.8) (p < 0.001). Hippocampal volume was lower in patients with MCI, with a mean of 2.81 ± 1.47 cm3 (right hippocampus) and 2.70 ± 1.35 cm3 (left hippocampus). In contrast, in patients with normal cognition, the mean was 3.34 ± 1.91 cm3 (right hippocampus) and 3.21 ± 1.70 cm3 (left hippocampus) (p < 0.001). This is the first study in Mexican patients with HIV infection, showing that a decrease in hippocampal MRI volume is associated with MCI.